Pick of the Past: Reading town centre bomb scares in 1973

Pick of the Past 1973: Reading station was evacuated during a bomb scare.

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Bomb scares were common in major towns and cities in the 1970s and Reading had its share.

At a time when the IRA had become a major terror threat on the UK mainland, there was no end of hoaxers out to cause disruption along with scares caused by cases left abandoned.

Our photos show three incidents in Autumn 1973. One in Broad Street where Heelas (now John Lewis) and British Home Stores (bhs) were both evacuated, the Post office in Friar Street (now Yates's) where staff waited across the road and similar problems at the station.